The present invention is directed towards a device for removing from a container a fluid contained therein, said container being sealed by a septum, said device comprising a needle-shaped member with a distal end that is suitable for piercing the septum and a discharge member that is in connection with the needle-shaped member for discharging the fluid removed from the container.
Containers, e.g. in the shape of a bottle, comprising a septum, are used on a large scale for retaining fluid samples which originate e.g. from a chemical processing plant or from a human being or an animal. Receiving the fluid in the container and, if applicable, removing it again elsewhere for the sake of e.g. a chemical analysis of the sample, can be safely conducted by piercing the septum with a syringe, so that it is not necessary to remove a cap or lid first. In other words, the contents of the sample bottle remain sealed from the environment at all times. This safety issue is an important requirement, particularly if the fluid is aggressive and/or health-hazardous, or if a sterile environment has to be maintained, e.g. in hospitals.
When a syringe is used to remove fluid from the container, however, some fluid will always be left inside the container, and this fluid cannot be removed from the container as long as safety precautions are observed. This remaining fluid, or if not the entire sample was required for analysis, the rest of the fluid, is usually destroyed, e.g. by destroying the container with contents, which method puts an undesirable strain on the environment and is also a waste of material.